The provincial health authority's CEO’s tour reports on long term care homes came out late Friday afternoon, talking about some of the conditions that care home residents are living under. 

Saskatchewan Health Authority CEO Scott Livingstone explained in a conference call earlier this week what the challenges that care homes have, as listed in the 252-page CEO tour reports.

“What I think they do (is) they highlight some of the work that still needs to be done to ensure that our long term care residents across the province are getting the very best of care, but they’re also highlighting the opportunity that the tours, as well as the other work we do identify areas for improvement on an ongoing basis,” he said.

When it came to Moose Jaw’s Extendicare, the report said that patient satisfaction was good but there is asbestos labelling, crowded hallways, and mould issues in the tub room. Families “wish for private rooms – mostly semis and four-bed rooms.

It also talked of a struggle to find cooks.

The reports were released days after damning reports from Ontario care homes found serious flaws with how people living there were treated, as well as the condition of some of their homes. 

In Saskatchewan, Livingstone said there was a consistency to some of the challenges seen across the province when it comes to serving the needs of an aging population.

Going on the tour were Karen Earnshaw, vice president of integrated rural health, Dr. Kevin Wasko, physician executive of integrated rural health, Rhonda Farley, Extendicare administrator and Karen Abrey, director of continuing care. The tour happened Sept. 24, 2019.

Extendicare has 160 employees, with 125 beds and a special needs unit with two nursing units.

The Opposition New Democrats counted nearly $3.5 billion in repairs needed throughout the province, a jump from $2.2 billion from a 2013 report.  

“With these deferred maintenance numbers…, we can see just how bad the problem has gotten, with $3.5 billion in repairs needed to restore these facilities to the kind of condition you’d feel comfortable letting a loved one stay in,” health critic Vicki Mowat said in a media release.